The Sorting Hat Knows Best
by notsoinnocentfangirl
Summary: Sirius was the first Black for generations to be sorted in any house aside from Slytherin, right? What do you think the Sorting Hat had to say to an 11 year old Sirius? Lets find out.


**Disclaimer: **Well guess what, I don't have any rights to the HP series. I'm just using it to fill in some gaps that JKR never bothered to.

**A/N:**_ Sirius was the first Black in generations to be sorted in any house aside from _Slytherin, _wasn't he? Has anyone ever wondered exactly what was said during the sorting, exactly what observations the sorting hat made? It couldn't have just been a, you're in this house, now get off my stool, type of moment. _

_Here's my take on it._

**The Sorting Hat Knows Best**

"SIRIUS BLACK!!!" The thin witch at the front of the room called, her glasses sliding down her nose as she looked around the Great Hall.

A rather tall boy stood, walking proudly up to the stool that the professor gestured to.

The boy was extremely, nervous, but anyone looking at him wouldn't notice. After all, he was a member of the Most Noble House of Black. It was his duty to always appear calm and collected, on the verge of emotionless.

He could not embarrass his family.

And yet, after everything he had seen today, after speaking to a few of the other first years, he had quickly realized that his families views weren't so widely accepted, much less appreciated.

That worried him.

The rules and "proper" etiquette his family had taught him were all he had ever known. He was suppose to hate muggles and half blood, suppose to associate with no one other than those who came from powerful pure blood families, such as he did.

He had to be sorted into Slytherin.

And yet, the more he thought about it, the less he wanted to be in that particular House. He had seen the way those older boys in that house picked on the other children, pushing them around and casting hexes their way.

He didn't want to be like them.

He didn't even like the color green, though silver was pretty cool.

He sighed, sitting down at the stool that was placed at the front of the Great Hall, and only had a moment to truly get comfortable, before the thin witch, Professor McGonagall, (yes, that was her name! He remembered.), placed the smelly old hat on his head.

"I'm not smelly, "a croaky voice muttered, and Sirius couldn't help but jump, surprised. He hadn't exactly been expecting this.

"Yes, I can speak. What did you expect? That you'd wear the hat and wall-ah, you're done? Come on boy, you're a pure blood wizard, surely you have more sense than that?"

"I have plenty of sense, and you shouldn't speak to me that way," Sirius thought.

"Ah, I recognize that attitude. You're a Black, aren't you? Bloody awful lot you are, thinking you're better than everyone else."

"We're not awful."

"Hmmm," the hat murmured, quite for a moment. "Perhaps you are not. You seem a bit different then the rest of the pure bloods that I have sorted over the years, not that there's all that many, mind you."

"Yes, I know we're running out, and I have to keep the line going by producing an heir when I'm grown. I've heard it all from Mother," Sirius thought, wondering why this was taking so long.

"Aww, you're a right smarty git, I can tell, and the impatient type as well, are you not? Maybe you're a bit more like your family than I had thought."

"I am not like them!"

"Are you certain? It looks like you do think that you're better than others, and you're impatient to get what you want. You've been brought up on your families beliefs. How can you be any different? Why should you be? After all, you're the one that said the lot of you aren't that awful, and you're right. Your beliefs just happen to be different from a lot of the other wizards that attend this school. And if those beliefs are the ones you yourself go by, young Sirius, then there is no other place better for you than…"

Sirius panicked as he heard the hat's voice grow louder, knowing that he was about to sort him into the one house he dreaded being sorted into more than anything.

'Please, please,' he heard himself muttering, feeling tears sting his eyes. 'Please not Slytherin.'

"But why not, my boy? You could do great things in Slytherin make some great friends. Anything that you want can be yours if you were sorted into that house. I can tell that you're cunning, devious at times. Why not be sorted into the one house that can help those characteristics of yours grow, and that can earn your parents approval? Slytherin can lead you to great things, Sirius."

Sirius shook his head. "No, no. I could never hate anyone just because they don't have pure wizardry blood in there veins. I could never hex someone just because they're muggle born or weaker than I am. I could never wish anyone dead just because I want the world to be filled with Pure Bloods and Dark Arts. I could never attack someone smaller, younger than me, merely because it amuses me."

"Aww, so you are different from the rest of the Black line, are you not? Everyone else that came before you had no interest in anything but that of themselves, and they showed no remorse, no feeling, no desire for anything but power. They were sure candidates for Slytherin, but you're not like them at all, are you? Oh, I see great things for you, my boy, great, outstanding things, but it won't be easy, no, not easy at all. You'll struggle, and sometimes there will be fights that you will lose, but you will be a very great and powerful wizard."

Sirius shook his head again. "I don't want to be great and powerful if it means I have to hurt anyone. I don't want to be like the rest of my family. I know which House they want me in, and I know they'll hate me if Slytherin isn't the house you place me in, and yes, that scares me, but I don't want to be sorted into a house full of power crazed beasts."

Sorting Hat laughed, almost fondly. "Yes, you are much different than the rest of your clan. Much, much different, and I find myself liking you. It took a great deal of courage for you to speak your mind, and to admit that you were in fact scared. There's only one house that shows courage like that. Now dry your tears, Sirius, because you belong in GRYFFINDOR!!!!"

The room was silent for a moment. Everyone knew of the Black family, and were aware that this was a very rare and shocking event. A Black, in Gryffindor? Had that ever happen?

After a few moments though, the entire Great Hall Broke into applause, all aside from the Slytherin House.

Sirius breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that he'd be in a load of trouble with his mother and father, and that he would have a hard time finding a place to fit in, but at least he wouldn't become a monster, a heartless beast, as many of the people his parent associated with seemed to be.

He reached up, ready to take the hat off, when he heard it chuckle.

"I hope you like the color red more than you like green, Sirius," Sorting Hat murmured.

"I do, thank you."

Sirius removed the hat, and stood. He could see, as well as feel, his cousins gazes boring into him from their table, but he wouldn't cower under their glares. He walked proudly to his new House table, where his Head of House smiled softly at him, before he turned to the very front of the room, where the Headmaster stood. He saw the old wizard smile as well, the twinkle in his eyes evident, but what made Sirius smile back was the pride that reflected from Professor Dumbledore's eyes.

Yes, he was right where he belonged, and as three boys who were sorted after him came to sit beside him, one by one, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and James Potter, he knew that he'd make the very best of friends as well.

Hogwarts didn't look so scary anymore, he thought, as Remus smiled shyly at him.

**A/N: **Well, I hope you enjoyed this. It just seemed like an event that should be written about, don't you think?

**_Please review :D_**


End file.
